Religion

[Ánleifr]

First of all I am not condemning, promoting or trying to persuade anyone for any reason, I would like to have or start a good hypothetical discussion on religion "in general". I have many questions or topics to start discussions so with no further ado, I will just jump in.

1) If you look at religion as a whole since the beginning of recorded history, religions have gone in and out of popularity over time. Depending on where you lived and what was "in" during that time period that is the religion you were/are depending on force, law and etc. So as an example, people are Christians because that is what they believe, correct. Just like people are Muslim, because that is what they believe. Well they believe the things they believe because they are either forced to or because that is the way the were raised or because that is what is "in" right now. If these same exact individuals who are Catholics, and Muslims and Amish today were alive and living in the say Gaul in 75 BC would they be what they are today? Well of course not because some of the religions today did not exist then, but even if they did they would not have been mainstream so those practicing them probably would have been persecuted. A thousand years from now, would the same people who are what they are today be what they are now? Which brings me to the next point...

2) Why is the human race so dependent on the worship and following of Gods throughout human existence? Every ancient culture from 6,000 years ago worshiped Gods and to this day we still do, even as those Gods have changed hundreds of times from one God to the next. Which brings me to the next point...

3) Since the God worshiped today, is different than the God worshiped yesterday and going by history will be different tomorrow, why is the worship of Gods that change so much and have throughout our civilization still worshiped, when they change to the popular one of the time? Does that mean that my ancestors who did not worship my God are all in hell because they worshiped the wrong God? Or that I will go to hell because I am worshiping the wrong God? How do I know if theirs was wrong, or that mine is right, or that my descendants a thousand years from now will be worshiping the right God?

[Sultan Suleiman]

Stone the infidel!!!

[Ánleifr]

The God gene is an interesting theory as well:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God_gene

[Siegfried]

1) Well they believe the things they believe because they are either forced to or because that is the way the were raised or because that is what is "in" right now. If these same exact individuals who are Catholics, and Muslims and Amish today were alive and living in the say Gaul in 75 BC would they be what they are today? Well of course not because some of the religions today did not exist then, but even if they did they would not have been mainstream so those practicing them probably would have been persecuted. A thousand years from now, would the same people who are what they are today be what they are now? Which brings me to the next point...

I would have to make one correction though. There are quite a few of us, such as myself, who don't fall under any of the reasons you mentioned as to why people follow certain religions. I mean, I was brought up a Christian, but at one point I put the up-bringing to a halt, so I had to choose myself. In the end, I figured that Christianity is what I believe in, but by my own processes.

Well, we would be dead in 1000 years, wouldn't we?:p

Overall, a person might be similar, but one still has to note the impact culture and the environment has on the way you're brought up and how you act, so that there would be great differences.



2) Why is the human race so dependent on the worship and following of Gods throughout human existence? Every ancient culture from 6,000 years ago worshiped Gods and to this day we still do, even as those Gods have changed hundreds of times from one God to the next. Which brings me to the next point...

Some cultures just want something nice to believe in for an afterlife or whatnot, a sort of population comforting. On the other hand, some religions deal with explaining natural cycles, such as the Crop religions. Then there are the highly philosophical religions which either have or on the brink of finding a greater truth beyond nature, a sort of thirst for knowledge. I personally believe Christianity has it right.



3) Since the God worshiped today, is different than the God worshiped yesterday and going by history will be different tomorrow, why is the worship of Gods that change so much and have throughout our civilization still worshiped, when they change to the popular one of the time? Does that mean that my ancestors who did not worship my God are all in hell because they worshiped the wrong God? Or that I will go to hell because I am worshiping the wrong God? How do I know if theirs was wrong, or that mine is right, or that my descendants a thousand years from now will be worshiping the right God?

Q1) This question is similar to the one before. Mainly because people believe that what they think about a greater truth is right.

Q2 & Q3) Hopefully, these aren't the gods we're dealing with. I think a real God would deal more with how you lived your life than whether a missionary has had the chance to talk to you or your ancestors.

Q4) You don't know. In most cases, we are dealing with something supernatural with which we have little contact. You could read theological writings and think about it yourself; that's helped me.

Q5) You don't know.